Football fans do not appear to be following in the healthy footsteps of their idols as a recent survey has revealed the extent of their unhealthy eating.

During the tournament, one in ten football-mad Britons will drink 20 cans and 20 pints of beer, the research conducted by the University of Loughborough revealed.

Ron Maughan, professor of sport and exercise nutrition at the university, commented: "The occasional indulgence will not harm you. But some of our research suggests some of the guys watching the World Cup will consume an awful lot of unhealthy items."

Food could also prove a health risk, with one in seven fans planning on eating ten pizzas during the matches.

In order to tackle this temptation to overeat, Mr Maughan suggested that fans use the players' behaviour "as a signpost in order to pick up some more activity and think about what we're eating".

The survey also found that a big increase in the consumption of crisps, chocolate and biscuits was likely to coincide with the World Cup.